TO fast-track government transactions, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) 7 is urging local government units (LGUs) to implement the Electronic Business Permit and Licensing System (eBPLS).
Frederick Amores, DICT 7 regional director, said the eBPLS will help both the LGUs and the business owners during renewals and other applications.
“We are hoping that there will be more LGUs that will adopt the system because it will also allow online payments. This is a free software system available to local governments that want to use the eBPLS,” he said.
In the DICT website, the cloud-based eBPLS software “enables LGUs to process application for new and renewal of business permits electronically.”
Roumel Abella, DICT 7 focal person, said the town of Pinamungajan is already using the system in its municipal hall.
“This is developed by the DICT which is intended for the LGUs to use after President Rodrigo Duterte called to streamline business permits. It’s a joint effort between DICT, Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Trade and Industry,” Abella said.
Pinamungajan has been using the system since January this year and has processed 30 business permits during the first week.
Abella said the towns of Argao and San Remigio are now preparing to use eBPLS.
The LGUs will be the ones to provide the hardware while it will be the DICT that will install the system.
“There will be trainings on how to use it and of course, investments on the system but it will be up to them to provide it. We’ll install the software. They just have to write a letter of intent and submit it to our office,” Amores said.
Amores lauded the towns that are already using the electronic system in handling business transactions.
“If they are interested to participate then we will conduct an e-Readiness survey on how ready they are to do it,” he said.
Cebu City ranked third in the 2017 Top 10 E-Readiness Leadership Awards for Municipalities and Cities organized by the DICT. The municipality of Loboc in Bohol, on the other hand, placed seventh in the ranking.